Policies

Violations of safety rules (as outlined in the training) will result in access revocation to the MakerSpace. If this occurs, you are required to retake and pass the MakerSpace Safety Training again in order to regain access.

To do so, ensure that you register for it in REPORTER and then complete the Moodle module. If you fail the training in Moodle, you must re-register in REPORTER and try again. Do not simply retake it in Moodle, as that will not trigger the recovery of your card access.

MakerSpace “Club Access” Policy

We frequently receive requests from student clubs and organizations (as well as external organizations) asking to reserve the ECE MakerSpace for private events, workshops, or training sessions.

We do not permit this. 

This is for a variety of reasons, which we’re spelling out on this page to answer the various questions that have been asked:

• Non-NCSU students are not permitted within the ECE MakerSpace. This also excludes external organizations seeking to use the space for K-12 activities. While we support outreach efforts, the ECE MakerSpace is small, and external participants introduce safety and liability concerns.
• No one is permitted in our ECE MakerSpace until they have completed our Safety training courses and received card access. In the past, events hosted by student groups have allowed attendees into the space without completing the required training. 
• We offer official training sessions on how to use our equipment – we encourage groups to direct their members to our courses. We cannot verify that external training accurately reflects our equipment procedures. Improper use can result in equipment damage, creating financial and operational impacts for the ECE MakerSpace. We can offer our courses at non-standard times upon request. 
• The ECE MakerSpace provides materials for individual academic and personal use. Past events have resulted in excessive or inappropriate consumption of these materials, and our funding is limited. 

But I’ve seen advertisements for an IEEE soldering workshop — how is that allowed?

These workshops are part of an official ECE MakerSpace training partnership.

• We have worked with a small number of student organizations to expand the number of approved soldering instructors. 
• These instructors are trained and vetted by the ECE MakerSpace Lab Manager.
• Workshops are open to all students and follow a curriculum in line with official ECE MakerSpace training.
• The ECE MakerSpace sponsors these events, provides materials, and awards MakerSpace course credit to participants.

Because of staffing and resource limitations, we can support only a small number of these partnerships, and only with ECE-affiliated student organizations that offer ongoing workshops.

Groups interested in pursuing this option should contact ecehelp@ncsu.edu. Please note that establishing these partnerships requires review and coordination and may take significant time.